LEMON MERINGUE CHEESECAKE

With winter approaching, it’s time for citrus again! This winning combination isn’t as sweet as a lemon meringue and not as rich as a cheesecake. With all the different flavours and textures, you won’t be able to resist a second helping…

INGREDIENTS

CRUST
1 ½ packets of Tennis Biscuits
125g butter, melted
2 tbsp dukkha (optional)
FILLING
3 x 230g creamed cottage cheese (Tip 1)
4 large eggs, separated 
1 tin condensed milk
1 cup cream
¾ cup freshly pressed lemon juice (3-4 lemons)
rind of 1 lemon, grated
1 tsp vanilla essence
pinch of salt
MERINGUE
4-6 egg whites (Tip 2)
200-300g castor sugar
1tsp vanilla essence

METHOD

CRUST
1. Prepare a springform cake tin (23-25cm) with non-stick spray.
2. Add the tennis biscuits, butter and dukkha in a food processor and mix until fine and well combined. You can also mix everything by hand in a mixing bowl.
3. Press the crust onto the bottom and sides of the cake tin. Place the cake tin in the fridge.
FILLING
1. Preheat the oven to 180C with the oven rack at the bottom of the oven.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a mixing bowl when using a hand mixer, whisk the cottage cheese until smooth and creamy. 
3. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, mixing after each addition.
4. Add the condensed milk, cream, lemon juice and zest, vanilla and salt. Mix until everything is well combined.
5. Pour the filling into the prepared crust.
MERINGUE (Tip 3)
1. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk your egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
2. Gradually add your castor sugar until medium peaks form. Add your vanilla essence and mix until well combined.
3. Spoon the egg whites over the filling (Tip 4).
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes and leave in the oven to cool down completely, with the oven door closed. 
5. The cheesecake must be completely cooled down and set before removing it from the cake tin to be served. It would be best to rest overnight. 

TIPS
1. If you can’t find cottage cheese, you can use cream cheese. Your bake will just be a bit richer.
2. Use the 4 egg whites remaining from the filling. If you want a higher meringue, add 2 more egg whites, and keep the egg yolks in the fridge for another recipe. Use 200g sugar for 4 egg whites and 300g sugar for 6 egg whites.
3. I used Swiss Meringue for the Cheesecake in the photo, but the basic meringue works just as well and it is less effort. If you want to try the Swiss Meringue, see the next block.
4. Don’t spread the egg whites over the edge of the cake tin, because it will expand in the oven and then the meringue will break when you remove the cheesecake from the tin. Spoon the egg whites over the filling, with a small edge of the filling being visible around the meringue. 

SWISS MERINGUE
INGREDIENTS
4-6 large egg whites
300-400g castor sugar
5ml vanilla essence
Pinch of salt
METHOD
This simply means that you “cook” the egg whites before whisking it. This will increase the volume and glossiness of the meringue. Using this technique, you don’t need to bake the meringue at all, seeing that the egg whites are already cooked. If you prefer some colour, you can quickly blowtorch or grill the meringue in a very hot oven.
1. Remove the pie from the oven, after the cooling period.
2. Fill a small pot with a bit of boiling water to create a double boiler on your stovetop.
3. Add the egg whites and castor sugar to the bowl of an electric mixer. 
4. Place the bowl on top of the small pot with simmering water, not touching the water.
5. With a hand whisk, slowly whisk the egg mixture until all the sugar has dissolved (+-5min). Test this by rubbing some of the mixture between your thumb and index finger to feel for any sugar granules. Also scrape the sides of the bowl down to remove any sugar sticking to the sides.
6. Transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until the meringue is thick and glossy, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the vanilla and salt and whisk for another minute.
8. Spoon the meringue over the pie and blowtorch for a golden-brown colour, or grill under a hot oven (220C) for 2-3 minutes, keeping a close eye to not burn the meringue. You can also leave the meringue as it is, without browning. 
9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down before removing from the pan (1-2 hours).